Export leader blames Haiti border incidents on lack of clear rules

Santo Domingo. – Dominican Exporters Association (ADOEXPO) president Kai Schoenhals on Sunday stated the sector’s concern with the days-long halt in freight transport across the border with Haiti, one of the country’s leading trade partners.

He said the lack of a clear regulations sparked the halt of truck traffic from both sides of the border, especially Jimaní (west), which he affirms accounts for more than US$11 million weekly and around US$600 million in local exports to the neighboring country in 2011, just through that crossing.

“Our concern stems from the deficiency in transparency, rules and authority in everything around the process of trade with Haiti. We ask the authorities to intervene with diplomatic talks to establish the conditions to restore security in our border and prevent situations which have negative economic and social impacts,” the business leader said.

As to the current conflict that halted truck traffic Schoenhals said although the impasse had been solved Friday afternoon, “the skirmishes which had nothing to do with the truckers’ unions roiled people who started shooting again, forcing another shutdown of the border, blocking the traffic of vehicles.”